Bump Maps

Stone Pattern Bump map rendered with IRender nXt

Bump Mapping refers to a rendering technique where a raster image, or procedural routine is used to represent "bumps" on a surface.

IRender nXt supports three types of Bump Maps.

• Automatic Bump Maps which treat a SketchUp textured material as both a material map and a bump map.
• Standard Bump Maps where one image is used to represent the height of the bumps, and a base color, or another image is used to represent the underlying material.
• Procedural Bump Maps where a mathematical routine is used to generate a bump patter.

Automatic bump maps

Auto Bump in IRender nXt Material Wizard

The Auto Bump Map option on the IRender nXt Material Wizard creates a bump map (automatically) from the SketchUp image on a material. The nXtRender Material Editor has a check box to turn Auto Bump on and off.

Here is an Auto Bump example of a wall with SketchUp's stone material, and two spot light shining on the the material:
(Bump maps have their best effect when there is lighting at an angle to the material, because the bump map 3D effect is more pronounced when there is light shining on the material.)

No Auto Bump Map

With Auto Bump Map and 100% color strength

• See: Automatic Bump Maps

Standard Bump Maps

IRender Plus supports bump mapped materials.

Bump map editor loaded by right clicking on a material in the nXtRender Material Editor and selecting "Edit". This shows how an image can be used to define the color and/or bump map of a material. You can assign two or more textures to a material - for instance - 1 texture to display and another texture to create bumps.

Room with bump map applied to right wall. The main effect of the bumps is an increase in shadows on the texture as the angle to the light gets sharper - (further from the light.)

• See: Standard Bump Maps

Procedural Bump Maps

Procedural Bump Maps are a IRender nXt feature which adds 3D texture effect to surfaces.

There are 5 procedural bumps which can be used to give your material (with or without textures) a different appearance.

Each Bump type has parameters to change its size, etc

Creating Bump Maps

IRender includes a feature to create bump maps from geometry in SketchUp models.

See: Creating Bump Maps

SketchUp model with some 3D shapes

Bump Map created from SketchUp model.

See also

• Rendering Tip - Water Effects

For more information on Bump Maps:

• Bump Maps
• Bump Maps - Additional Information
• Automatic Bump Maps - use SketchUp texture as texture and for bump map.
• Procedural Bump Maps - Water, sandpaper, and other bump effects.
• Standard Bump Maps - Use a second image for the bump map.
• Material Wizard
• Water Materials